My Angel Girl

Ere'ana clasped her hands together, her glowing wings slightly twitching as she gazed at her family. Kikidori slouched on the couch, arms crossed, looking like he'd rather jump into the endless void of hell than sit through this. Yumi was half-asleep, leaning against Akuma, who was staring blankly at the ceiling. Kael, the only one remotely paying attention, was trying to mimic his mother by folding his tiny hands together.

"Alright, everyone," Ere'ana began, her voice filled with forced optimism. "We're going to pray together as a family. It's important to—"

Kikidori groaned loudly, cutting her off. "Ere'ana, for the love of whatever you worship, can we *please* not do this? We just sat through an entire sung Bible lecture."

Ere'ana turned to him, her angelic glow dimming slightly as her expression hardened. "Kikidori, this is important. You, of all people, need this."

"Why me?" he retorted, raising an eyebrow. "I'm doing just fine without divine intervention, thank you very much."

"Doing fine?" Ere'ana snapped, her wings flaring slightly. "You're the prince of hell, you've got no sense of morality, and you've raised our son in *this*!" She gestured around dramatically at the fiery, chaotic landscape of hell visible through the window.

Kael tilted his head, whispering, "I think hell is pretty cool."

Yumi stifled a laugh, earning a glare from Ere'ana.

"Alright, fine!" Kikidori finally conceded, throwing his hands up. "Let's get this over with. But I'm not kneeling."

Ere'ana sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You don't have to kneel. Just... bow your head and close your eyes."

Kikidori gave her a sarcastic salute. "Yes, ma'am."

As Ere'ana began the prayer, her voice soft and reverent, the rest of the family did their best to follow along.

"Dear Heavenly Father," Ere'ana started, her eyes closed tightly. "Thank you for bringing this family together, despite our many... differences."

Kikidori snorted but quickly disguised it as a cough when Ere'ana shot him a warning look.

"Please guide us, Lord, in the ways of righteousness," she continued, her voice steady. "Help us to find peace, understanding, and love, even in the darkest of times."

Yumi leaned over to Akuma, whispering, "How long do you think this is gonna take?"

"Shh!" Ere'ana snapped, her eyes still closed.

Akuma rolled his eyes but stayed quiet.

"And Lord," Ere'ana added, her voice cracking slightly, "please watch over Kael as he begins his journey as a demon. Help him to remember the light, even when surrounded by darkness."

Kael looked up at her, confused but touched. "Mom, I'm not going anywhere."

Ere'ana opened her eyes briefly to give him a warm smile before continuing. "And Lord, please help Kikidori—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kikidori interrupted, holding up a hand. "Don't drag me into your prayer. I'm doing just fine."

Ere'ana ignored him, powering through. "Please help Kikidori find his way back to the light. I know he has goodness in him, even if he refuses to admit it."

Kikidori groaned, muttering under his breath, "Goodness, my ass."

"And Lord," Ere'ana finished, her tone softer, "please guide this family, no matter how broken or mismatched we may seem, to find unity and purpose in Your will."

She opened her eyes and looked around expectantly. "Now, say 'Amen.'"

"Amen," Kael said enthusiastically, clapping his hands together.

Yumi half-heartedly muttered, "Amen."

Akuma gave a bored, "Yeah, amen, whatever."

Kikidori stayed silent, leaning back into the couch with his arms crossed.

Ere'ana frowned, staring him down. "Kikidori."

"What?" he said, feigning innocence.

"Say it."

"Fine," he grumbled. "Amen. Happy now?"

Ere'ana sighed, her wings folding neatly behind her. "Yes, actually. Thank you."

Kikidori stood up, stretching. "Great. Prayer time is over. Can we go back to our regularly scheduled dysfunction now?"

Ere'ana shot him a look but chose not to respond. As the family began to disperse, Kael tugged on her dress.

"Mom," he said quietly, "does God really watch over us, even in hell?"

Ere'ana knelt down to his level, brushing a strand of hair from his face. "Yes, my little one. He's always watching over us, no matter where we are."

Kael smiled, feeling a warmth he couldn't quite explain.

End of Chapter 16